New developments in dental technology continue to give us more options for restoring damaged or missing teeth. In our office, we’ve recently adopted one of these new technologies, called the Densah® Bur.
This is a simple and effective tool that opens up a number of new possibilities for patients who might have insufficient bone structure or density to accept an implant.
The developers of this tool coined the term “osseodensification” to describe the process. That is basically a big word to describe the way this tool actually compacts the bone in an outward direction, creating a site that is large enough and stable enough to hold an implant.
How Does It Work?
This special bur can be used to drill a hole in the bone when it spins one direction. Then, when it is switched it to spin the other way, the osseodensification begins. Instead of drilling out more bone tissue, it pushes the tissue outward, simultaneously compacting it and creating a stronger and denser layer of bone.
This is an important technological development, because the common alternative would be to rely on bone grafts to create the same results. That would lead to more healing time as we waited for the graft to fully integrate with the rest of the bone structure.
This single tool gives us a lot of new options. It allows us to create a pilot hole in the bone structure when the bur spins one direction, and the precision controls lets us remove just the right amount of bone. Then, when it spins the other way – called the densifying mode – we can use the proprietary fluting on the bur to create a gentle compression wave.
As this happens, the surrounding layer of bone starts to compress and become dense while simultaneously expanding the boney ridge that will eventually have to support the dental implant.
Are You a Candidate for This Technology?
Generally speaking, anyone who is healthy enough to have an implant could be a candidate for this new dental technology.
Of course, it’s not always necessary for everyone. If the jawbone is sufficiently dense and wide enough for the titanium implant, we can use the traditional methods to prepare the site.
However, this method is proving itself to be very valuable in cases that would have previously required a bone graft.
This means we can offer faster implants to replace missing teeth for people who previously would have been forced to wait for months as the graft fused to the bone.
Why It’s Important
Missing teeth can lead so some serious dental problems down the road. Your teeth could start to shift, infections could set in, and it can become hard to eat or speak normally.
When someone is missing one or more teeth, they tend to feel very self-conscious try and hide their smiles. We want our patients to feel like they can always share their smiles with anyone, especially since your smile may also provide a number of great health benefits.
A High-Tech and Comfortable Option
These new technologies continue to add a lot of great options, and we’ve got the skills and experience to use these tools to provide great results. Still, we understand that many people have concerns about dental procedures like this, and may feel some real anxiety. If this is stopping you from getting the care you need, you can take advantage of our sedation dentistry to feel more relaxed and comfortable when you come in for your treatment.
At Henrich Dental we will take the time to discuss all your options with you, so you can make the best decision about your dental health. We’ll carefully explain this process in more detail so you will know exactly what’s happening and what you can expect from the process.